U.S. patent application number 11/608621 was filed with the patent office on 2007-11-01 for video recording and playing system and signal pickup method for the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to AVERMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.. Invention is credited to Shih-Ming Chang, Meng-Tze Liu.
Application Number | 20070253682 11/608621 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37908683 |
Filed Date | 2007-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070253682 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chang; Shih-Ming ; et
al. |
November 1, 2007 |
VIDEO RECORDING AND PLAYING SYSTEM AND SIGNAL PICKUP METHOD FOR THE
SAME
Abstract
In a signal pickup method for a video recording and playing
system, a signal is continuously received and stored in a data
buffer of the video recording and playing system. Then, in response
to an operation of a control device of the video recording and
playing system, a pickup start point and a pickup end point are
determined, thereby locating a first data address corresponding to
the pickup start point and a second data address corresponding to
the pickup end point in the data buffer. Afterward, the data
between the first data address and the second data address are
saved into a new file.
Inventors: |
Chang; Shih-Ming; (Taipei,
TW) ; Liu; Meng-Tze; (Taipei, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KIRTON AND MCCONKIE
60 EAST SOUTH TEMPLE,, SUITE 1800
SALT LAKE CITY
UT
84111
US
|
Assignee: |
AVERMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES,
INC.
Taipei Hsien
TW
|
Family ID: |
37908683 |
Appl. No.: |
11/608621 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
386/200 ;
386/232; 386/E5.001; G9B/27.012 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 5/76 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
386/125 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/00 20060101
H04N005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 26, 2006 |
TW |
095114940 |
Claims
1. A signal pickup method for a video recording and playing system,
the signal pickup method comprising steps of: continuously
receiving a signal and storing the signal in a data buffer of the
video recording and playing system; determining a pickup start
point and a pickup end point in response to an operation of a
control device of the video recording and playing system, thereby
locating a first data address corresponding to the pickup start
point and a second data address corresponding to the pickup end
point in the data buffer; and saving the data between the first
data address and the second data address into a file.
2. The signal pickup method according to claim 1 wherein the video
recording and playing system comprises: a host computer including a
hard disc; a TV module receiving the signal and performing channel
tuning, encoding/decoding, and signal format conversion; and a
monitor for displaying an image corresponding to the signal,
wherein the data buffer is established in the hard disc and the
control device is one selected from a mouse, a keyboard, a remote
controller and a touch panel controller, which is electrically
connected to the host computer.
3. The signal pickup method according to claim 2 further comprising
steps of: executing an application program to provide a users
interface including a playing function key and a recording function
key on the monitor; activating a time-shift function of the host
computer; continuously receiving and processing the signal by the
TV module to output corresponding video data, which is stored in
the data buffer and displayed on the monitor; implementing a
time-shift playback operation by using the mouse to move a tracking
slider along a position bar of the users interface; and providing a
pickup start index and a pickup end index on the position bar.
4. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the step
of determining the pickup start point and the pickup end point
comprises the sub-steps of: determining a segment to be captured
according to the images shown on the monitor; and using the mouse
to drag the pickup start index to the pickup start point
corresponding to the start point of the segment, and using the
mouse to drag the pickup end index to the pickup end point
corresponding to the end point of the segment.
5. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the step
of determining the pickup start point and the pickup end point
comprises the sub-steps of: determining a segment to be captured
according to the time indicator shown on the position bar; and
using the mouse to drag the pickup start index to the pickup start
point corresponding to the start point of the segment, and using
the mouse to drag the pickup end index to the pickup end point
corresponding to the end point of the segment.
6. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the pickup
end point is determined by inputting a predetermined recording time
after the pickup start point is determined.
7. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the pickup
start index and the pickup end index are stayed at the origin
position of the position bar before the pickup start point and the
pickup end point are determined, and the pickup end index is
located at a later position than the pickup start index.
8. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the size
of the video data stored in the data buffer indicates the earliest
position that the tracking slider can be moved to when the
time-shift function is activated, and the memory size of the data
buffer is determined by the application program.
9. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 wherein the pickup
start index and the pickup end index indicate the first data
address and the second data address in the data buffer,
respectively.
10. The signal pickup method according to claim 3 further
comprising steps of: activating the recording function via the
users interface when the pickup start index and the pickup end
index are respectively dragged to the pickup start point and the
pickup end point; and allowing the TV module to pick the data
between the first data address and the second data address from the
data buffer according to the pickup start index and the pickup end
index, and save the data into the file.
11. The signal pickup method according to claim 1 wherein the
signal is a TV signal issued from one of a cable TV signal source
and a wireless TV signal source, and the signal is one selected
from the group consisting an image signal, an audio signal and a
video signal in a digital or an analog format.
12. The signal pickup method according to claim 11, further
comprising a step of converting the signal into a digital form when
the signal is in an analog format, and storing the digitalized
signal into the data buffer.
13. A video recording and playing system for signal pickup,
comprising: a TV module continuously receiving a signal and
performing channel tuning, encoding/decoding and signal format
conversion on the signal, thereby outputting a processed signal; a
host computer communicated with said TV module and receiving the
processed signal from said TV module, wherein said host computer
has a data buffer for storing data corresponding to the signal; a
monitor electrically connected to said host computer for displaying
an image corresponding to the signal; and a control device
electrically connected to said host computer and operated to
determine a pickup start point and a pickup end point, wherein a
first data address corresponding to the pickup start point and a
second data address corresponding to the pickup end point in said
data buffer are located, and the data between the first data
address and the second data address in said data buffer are picked
and saved into a file.
14. The video recording and playing system according to claim 13
wherein the signal is a TV signal issued from one of a cable TV
signal source and a wireless TV signal source, and the signal is
one selected from a group consisting of an image signal, an audio
signal and a video signal in a digital or analog format, wherein
said TV module converts the signal into a digital form when the
signal is in an analog format, and then stores the digitalized
signal in said data buffer.
15. The video recording and playing system according to claim 13
wherein said host computer further comprises a hard disk, said data
buffer is established in said hard disc, and said host computer
further comprises an application program executed to define said
data buffer in said hard disc.
16. The video recording and playing system according to claim 15
wherein said control device is one selected from a group consisting
a mouse, a keyboard, a remote controller and a touch panel
controller, which is electrically connected to said host
computer.
17. The video recording and playing system according to claim 16
wherein a users interface including a playback function key and a
recording function key is provided and shown on said monitor by
executing the application program, and a time-shift function is
activated by moving a tracking slider along a position bar of the
users interface.
18. The video recording and playing system according to claim 17
wherein a pickup start index and a pickup end index are stayed at
the origin position of the position bar, and when a segment is to
be captured, the pickup start index and the pickup end index are
respectively dragged to the pickup start point corresponding to a
start point of the segment and the pickup end point corresponding
to an end point of the segment, and the pickup end index is located
at a later position than the pickup start index.
19. The video recording and playing system according to claim 18
wherein the positions of the pickup start point and the pickup end
point are determined according to the image shown on said monitor
or the time indicator shown on the position bar.
20. The video recording and playing system according to claim 18
wherein the pickup start index and the pickup end index indicate
the first data address and the second data address in said data
buffer, respectively, and in response to activation of the
recording function, said TV module picks the data between the first
data address and the second data address from the data buffer
according to the pickup start index and the pickup end index,
thereby saving the data into the file.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a signal pickup method, and
more particularly to a signal pickup method for a video recording
and playing system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Nowadays, many electrical appliances are widely used with
computers due to the amazing power of computers. For example, the
TV signals of cable or wireless TV programs can be transmitted to
the personal computer for display. Typically, the TV signals can be
transmitted to the personal computer by externally wiring a TV box
to the computer or installing a built-in TV tuner card in the
computer and then communicating the TV box or built-in TV tuner
card with a TV signal input terminal. In such way, the TV programs
can be displayed on the personal computer.
[0003] Please refer to FIG. 1(a), which is a schematic circuit
block diagram illustrating the configuration of displaying TV
programs on a conventional computer system. As shown in FIG. 1(a),
the TV signals issued from a TV signal input terminal are received
by a TV tuner card 14. After channel tuning, encoding/decoding, and
signal format conversion are implemented in the TV tuner card 14,
the processed signals are transmitted to a host computer 10 via a
cardbus 16. Consequently, the TV programs can be displayed on a
monitor 11, which is communicated with the host computer 10. In a
case that the personal computer is a desktop computer, the TV tuner
card complies with the peripheral component interconnect (PCI)
specification or the PCI Express (PCIe) specification. Whereas, in
another case that the personal computer is a notebook computer, the
TV tuner card complies with the cardbus specification.
[0004] These TV tuner card devices, i.e. the PCI TV tuner card, the
PCIe TV tuner card and the cardbus TV tuner cards, are also
referred as TV capture cards. When a TV capture card is applied to
the computer system, a memory device such as a hard disc (HD) 101
can be utilized to store related data. In addition, some programs
installed in the computer system can be used to edit or process the
data. By operating the input device such as a mouse 12 or a
keyboard (not shown), the video data corresponding to the TV
signals can be displayed on the monitor 11 in real time. Further,
these video data can be captured, recorded, and stored in the
computer system as video files. By executing an application program
associated with the TV tuner card 14 in the host computer 10, a
users interface 110 is shown on the monitor 11. As shown in FIG.
1(b), a window 18 and a users interface 110 are shown on the
monitor 11 after the application program is executed. By means of
the users interface 110 and the mouse 12, the user may control
playing or recording operations of the TV signals.
[0005] In addition to real-time playing and recording functions,
the application program associated with the TV tuner card has some
extended functions, for example a time-shift function. By using the
time-shift function, the user can move a tracking slider along the
position bar 1102 of the users interface 110 to go back while the
TV tuner card continuously receives and encodes/decodes the TV
signals and performs the signal format conversion. Hence, the user
won't miss any scene even through he has to leave for a while.
Alternatively, if the user intends to replay a program segment,
which has been displayed, the TV program can go back to any
position for playback by moving the tracking slider. Meanwhile, the
playback operation won't adversely affect the current recording
operation.
[0006] The principle of implementing the time-shift function will
be illustrated as follows. Firstly, when the TV tuner card performs
the playing operation, the TV tuner card converts the video signals
of the TV program into digital data, and stores the digital data in
the hard disc 101 of the host computer 10 as shown in FIG. 1(a). In
views of the great storage capacity of the hard disc 101, a data
buffer is established in the hard disc 101. For example, upon
executing the application program, a data buffer having a
predetermined size is defined in the hard disc 101. While the TV
program is display, the digital data corresponding to the TV
program segments are temporarily stored in the data buffer. That
is, the TV program segments corresponding to the newly received TV
signals within a predetermined duration are retained in the data
buffer. In a case that the time-shift function is activated, the
recorded segments can be loaded or displayed as required.
[0007] As previously described, the time-shift function allows the
user to review the segments stored in the data buffer without
affecting the operation of continuously recording the newly
received signals into the data buffer in the normal playing state.
This time-shift function, however, has some drawbacks when the user
intends to record a specific segment of the TV program into a video
file. In accordance with a conventional approach, the user can cut
the last obtained video file by a video editing program after the
TV program is completely recorded to get the program segment video
file. Unfortunately, waiting for the completion of the recording
operation really wastes much time. In accordance with another
conventional approach, the desired segment is recorded as a new
file by moving the tracking slider to the start point of the
segment to be recorded and then activating the recording function
while the TV program is still being recorded. By this approach, the
user can simultaneously record the entire TV program and the
desired segment. However, for implementing the segment recording,
it is necessary to wait till the program segment is completely
reproduced and recorded to get the desired segment video file. In
other words, a waiting time of recording the program segment is
required. Since the above conventional approaches are
time-consuming, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to
develop a signal pickup method and system according to the present
invention through wholehearted experience and research.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention provides a signal pickup method for a
video recording and playing system to directly convert a segment of
a TV program to be captured into a new file without waiting for the
completion of the program recording or the segment recording.
[0009] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a signal pickup method for a video recording and
playing system. In the signal pickup method, a signal is
continuously received and stored in a data buffer of the video
recording and playing system. Then, in response to an operation of
a control device of the video recording and playing system, a
pickup start point and a pickup end point are determined, thereby
locating a first data address corresponding to the pickup start
point and a second data address corresponding to the pickup end
point in the data buffer. Afterward, the data between the first
data address and the second data address are saved as a new
file.
[0010] In an embodiment, the video recording and playing system
comprises a host computer, a TV module and a monitor. The host
computer includes a hard disc. The TV module receives the signal
and performs channel tuning, encoding/decoding and signal format
conversion. The monitor is used for displaying an image thereon.
The data buffer is established in the hard disc. The control device
includes a mouse, a keyboard, a remote controller or a touch panel
controller, which is electrically connected to the host
computer.
[0011] In an embodiment, the signal pickup method further comprises
steps of executing an application program to provide a users
interface including a playing function key and a recording function
key on the monitor; activating a time-shift function of the host
computer; continuously receiving and processing the signal by the
TV module to output corresponding video data, which is stored in
the data buffer and displayed on the monitor; implementing a
time-shift playback operation by using the mouse to move a tracking
slider along a position bar of the users interface; and providing a
pickup start index and a pickup end index on the position bar.
[0012] In an embodiment, the step of determining the pickup start
point and the pickup end point comprises the sub-steps of
determining a segment to be captured according to the images shown
on the monitor; and using the mouse to drag the pickup start index
to the pickup start point corresponding to the start point of the
segment, and using the mouse to drag the pickup end index to the
pickup end point corresponding to the end point of the segment.
[0013] In an embodiment, the step of determining the pickup start
point and the pickup end point comprises the sub-steps of
determining a segment to be captured according to the time
indicator shown on the position bar; and using the mouse to drag
the pickup start index to the pickup start point corresponding to
the start point of the segment, and using the mouse to drag the
pickup end index to the pickup end point corresponding to the end
point of the segment.
[0014] In an embodiment, the pickup end point is determined by
inputting a predetermined recording time after the pickup start
point is determined.
[0015] In an embodiment, the pickup start index and the pickup end
index are stayed at the origin position of the position bar before
the pickup start point and the pickup end point are determined, and
the pickup end index is located at a later position than the pickup
start index.
[0016] In an embodiment, the size of the video data stored in the
data buffer indicates the earliest position that the tracking
slider can be moved to when the time-shift function is activated,
and the memory size of the data buffer is determined by the
application program.
[0017] In an embodiment, the pickup start index and the pickup end
index indicate the first data address and the second data address
in the data buffer, respectively.
[0018] In an embodiment, the signal pickup method further comprises
steps of activating the recording function via the users interface
when the pickup start index and the pickup end index are
respectively dragged to the pickup start point and the pickup end
point; and allowing the TV module to pick the data between the
first data address and the second data address from the data buffer
according to the pickup start index and the pickup end index, and
save the data into the file.
[0019] In an embodiment, the signal is a TV signal issued from a
cable TV signal source or a wireless TV signal source. The signal
can be an image signal, an audio signal or a video signal in a
digital or an analog format.
[0020] In an embodiment, the signal pickup method further comprises
a step of converting the signal into a digital form when the signal
is in an analog format, and storing the digitalized signal in the
data buffer.
[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a video recording and playing system for signal
pickup. The video recording and playing system comprises a TV
module, a host computer, a monitor and a control device. The TV
module continuously receives a signal and performs channel tuning,
encoding/decoding and signal format conversion on the signal,
thereby outputting a processed signal. The host computer is
communicated with the TV module and receives the processed signal
from the TV module, wherein the host computer has a data buffer for
storing the video data corresponding to the signal. The monitor is
electrically connected to the host computer for displaying an image
corresponding to the signal. The control device is electrically
connected to the host computer and operated to determine a pickup
start point and a pickup end point. A first data address
corresponding to the pickup start point and a second data address
corresponding to the pickup end point in the data buffer are
located, and the data between the first data address and the second
data address are picked and then saved into a file.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The above contents of the present invention will become more
readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after
reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0023] FIG. 1(a) is a schematic circuit block diagram illustrating
the configuration of displaying TV programs on a conventional
computer system;
[0024] FIG. 1(b) is a schematic view illustrating a window and a
users interface shown on the monitor while executing an application
program;
[0025] FIGS. 2(a)-2(c) schematically illustrate the different
states of a position bar of the users interface; and
[0026] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) illustrates a flowchart of a signal
pickup method according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] The signal pickup method of the present invention is
applicable to the hardware configuration as shown in FIG. 1(a)
without additional components. In other words, the signal pickup
method is used with a video recording and playing system including
a computer system and a TV module. The computer system comprises a
host computer 10, a monitor 11 and a mouse 12. The TV module
includes a built-in TV tuner card or an external TV box for
example. In this embodiment, the TV tuner card 14 is taken as the
TV module to explain the present invention. The TV tuner card 14 is
used to implement several operations including channel tuning,
encoding/decoding, and signal format conversion. In accordance with
a major feature of the present invention, a software program and an
application program associated with the TV tuner card 14 and
installed in the computer are modified, and the signal conversion
and pickup tasks for the TV programs are improved by executing
these programs. In this embodiment, the hardware of the video
recording and playing system is substantially unchanged, and is not
redundantly described herein. The TV signals as shown in FIG. 1(a)
are issued from a cable TV signal source or a wireless TV signal
source and include image, audio or video signals in a digital or an
analog format. In this embodiment, analog TV signals are used to
describe the present invention.
[0028] As previously described, the video recording and playing
system comprises a host computer 10, a monitor 11, a mouse 12 and a
TV tuner card 14. In a case that the real-time playing operation or
the recording operation is activated, the TV signals are
successively transmitted to the TV tuner card 14. The TV signals
are processed by the TV tuner card 14 to output corresponding video
data. The processed TV signals are temporarily stored in a data
buffer (not shown), which is established in the hard disc 101 of
the host computer 10. In this embodiment, the analog TV signals
should be converted into digital TV signals so that the digitalized
video data can be temporarily stored in the data buffer.
[0029] In accordance with the present invention, the memory size of
the data buffer is determined when the application program is
executed. For example, the data buffer can be defined to store
therein the video data having predetermined time length of half an
hour, one hour or others according to the capacity limit of the
hard disc 101 and the user's preference. Likewise, the TV tuner
cards 14 can support the playing, recording and time-shift
functions for the TV signals. Since the video data corresponding to
the TV signals are stored in the data buffer and simultaneously
displayed on the monitor 12, the size of the video data stored in
the data buffer relates to the earliest position that the program
can go back in the time-shift mode.
[0030] Please refer to FIG. 1(b) again. A window 18 and a users
interface 110 are shown on the monitor 11 when the application
program is executed. By selecting desired function keys shown on
the users interface 110, the TV program will be displayed in the
window 18 or further processed. In this embodiment, the desired
function keys are selected by means of a mouse 12. Nevertheless,
other input device such as a keyboard, a remote controller or a
touch panel controller can be used to select the desired function
keys. In addition, the position bar 1102 of the users interface 110
indicates the time status of the live TV program.
[0031] Please refer to FIG. 2(a), which schematically illustrates
the appearance of the position bar 1102 when the TV tuner card 14
is operated in the time-shift mode. The time length shown on the
position bar 1102 means the allowable size of the video data stored
in the data buffer. A storage index 21 shown under the position bar
1102 indicates the current size of the video data stored in the
data buffer, i.e. the current recording position. In other words,
if the storage index 21 moves to the right margin of the position
bar 1102 during the playing or recording operation, the video data
stored in the data buffer reach the allowable size, one hour of
video data for example. Under this circumstance, the video data
corresponding to the newly received TV signals will replace the
earliest recorded video data in the data buffer so that the video
data stored in the data buffer won't excess one-hour restriction
during the playing or recording operation. Consequently, when the
time-shift function is activated and a live TV program is
displayed, the user may move a tracking slider 22 along the
position bar 1102 to replay the previous program segments.
[0032] In accordance with other features of the present invention,
a pickup start index 23 and a pickup end index 24 are provided on
the position bar 1102. By using the mouse 12 to drag the pickup
start index 23 and the pickup end index 24 along the position bar
1102, the pickup start index 23 and the pickup end index 24 will be
stayed at desired positions on the position bar 1102 to indicate
the recording start position and the recording end position. By
dragging the pickup start index 23 and the pickup end index 24 to
the desired positions on the position bar 1102, a segment of a TV
program can be captured or saved as a new file while the TV program
is kept being displayed or recorded due to time-shift support.
[0033] Please refer to FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c), which schematically
illustrate the pickup start index 23 and the pickup end index 24
stayed at desired positions on the position bar 1102.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the pickup start index 23 and the
pickup end index 24 are both stayed at the origin position 20 of
the position bar 1102, for example at 08:00 when the playing or
recording function is activated. The storage index 21 stays at the
current playing or recording position, for example 8:40. In a case
that the data buffer for storing the video data therein has a
capacity corresponding to one hour of video data, the segments of
the TV program from 08:00 to 08:40 are retained in the data buffer.
By moving the tracking slider 22 along the position bar 1102 and
viewing the images shown in the window 18, the pickup start point
and the pickup end point for capturing the segment of the TV
program are determined. For example, as also shown in FIG. 2(b),
the segment to be captured starts at the pickup start point 230
(e.g. 08:20) and ends at the pickup end point 240 (e.g. 08:30). By
using the mouse 12 to drag the pickup start index 23 and the pickup
end index 24 to the pickup start point 230 and the pickup end point
240, respectively, the program segment from 08:20 to 08:30 will be
captured. Accordingly, the data addresses in the data buffer
corresponding to the pickup start point 230 and the pickup end
point 240 are determined.
[0035] Then, as shown in FIG. 2(c), when the recording function is
activated by clicking the recording function key for example, the
video data stored between the data address corresponding to the
pickup start point 230 and the data address corresponding to the
pickup end point 240, i.e. the black region, are picked and saved
as a new file stored in the hard disc 101. Consequently, by using
the signal pickup method of the present invention, the video file
corresponding to the segment to be captured can be instantly
obtained without the time-consuming recording or playing step.
[0036] By the way, the pickup end point 240 should be placed at a
later position than the pickup start point 230 because the segment
to be captured is determined by the region defined by the pickup
start index 23 and the pickup end index 24. Hence, the pickup end
index 24 cannot be moved to the left of the pickup start index
23.
[0037] Hereinafter, a flowchart of a signal pickup method for a
video recording and playing system according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention will be illustrated with
reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).
[0038] First of all, by executing an application program associated
with the TV tuner card (Step 301), a TV program resulting from the
TV signals are displayed on the monitor 11 for real-time play (Step
302). If the execution of the application program is terminated
(Step 303), the application program stop playing the TV program
(Step 304). Otherwise, if the user intends to record a segment of
the TV program (Step 305), the pickup start index 23 and the pickup
end index 24 are automatically positioned at the origin position 20
of the position bar 1102 (Step 306) and the newly received video
data of the TV signals are successively stored in the data buffer
(Step 307). Subsequently, if the pickup start index 23 and the
pickup end index 24 are dragged to the pickup start point 230 and
the pickup end point 240 by the user (Step 308), then the user can
activate the recording function (Step 309). If the recording
function is activated, the video data between the data addresses
corresponding to the pickup start point 230 and the pickup end
point 240 are picked and saved as another video file in the hard
disc 101 (Step 310). Otherwise, the user can terminate recording
the TV program (Step 311).
[0039] In the above embodiment, the images shown in the window 18
facilitate the user to locate the pickup start index 23 and the
pickup end index 24 at the precise positions. Alternatively, if the
pickup start point and the pickup end point have been known in
advance, according to the time indicator shown above (or under) the
position bar 1102, the steps of dragging the tracking slider 22 to
a certain position of the position bar 1102 and viewing the images
shown in the window 18 can be omitted. In addition, the pickup
start point 230 may be determined after a portion of the TV program
has been viewed in the time-shift mode. Under this circumstance,
the pickup end point 240 is determined by inputting a predetermined
recording time in a pop-up dialogue box (not shown) displayed on
the monitor 11 when the application program is executed. For
example, the user can set the pickup start point 230 at 8:20 and
input 10 minutes in the pop-up dialogue box to indicate that the
pickup end point 240 should be positioned at 8:30 without dragging
the pickup end index 24. It is noted that, however, those skilled
in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and
alterations of determining the pickup start point 230 and the
pickup end point 240 may be made while retaining the teachings of
the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be limited
only by the scope of the following claims.
[0040] From the above description, by using the signal pickup
method of the present invention, the segment to be captured can be
rapidly picked and saved as a file without waiting for the
completion of the segment recording operation.
[0041] While the invention has been described in terms of what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be
limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
* * * * *